Ilia's Tale
by Cries-at-the-Sky
Summary: Hyrule Warriors. An ordinary girl finds herself in the middle of a battlefield without any memories of her past. The only clue she has is an ornate yet derelict rod laying next to her...
1. Chapter 1: Green Field, Blue Sky

PART 1: Hyrule Field

Chapter 1: Green Field, Blue Sky

-/_\\-

[?]

...A ruined land, desolate, dead. Broken up only by bloodied corpses and cracks overflowing with lava. Thunderbolts crashed down everywhere. It was as if the skies protested the air of death. A blood-red moon shone through scarce spots in the clouds. The biggest thunderbolt cracked and a huge sword crashed down. Where it impaled the earth, the land tore apart and melted away, revealing a huge skeletal face. It laughed. Claws shot out into the sky, tearing it apart, wounding it. From the sky, blood splattered out all over the battlefield, all over her. She watched, and she screamed. But no sound came out. She could not move. The face rose out of the earth, and the body attached to it crawled out, before rising to full height. It roared, and the ruined sky came crashing down. She could feel her body being crushed, cut up by the shattered pieces of sky. Through the intense pain, she heard...

"Some Messenger you are. You couldn't save Link. You couldn't save anybody, not even yourself."

-/_\\-

[Ilia]

She opened her eyes, gasping for breath. The sun shone in her eyes, forcing her to close them again. _Breathe in. Breathe out. Observe your surroundings. Survival skills, Ilia. Remember what Gram taught you. Remember... huh?_ Like a sudden breeze, whatever memory she had started to form was suddenly swept away. She could, however, still feel the breeze on her skin. She could feel a gentle tickling on her back. It was grass, she realized. She was lying down in grass. But, how? How did she get here? She tried to remember, but all was black. And red. No, that was the sun shining through her closed eyelids. She groaned, and turned her head to the left, preparing to open them once more. Blearily, she opened them. The scene before her was what may very well have been the first thing she ever saw, since there was nothing before. She saw a hand, hers, attached to an arm, also hers. But what was curious was that thing in her hand, which she was clenching. It was a rod of some sort. It looked like it could have been an ancient and priceless artifact, had it not been for the fact it was covered in moss. It was sagging with disrepair, really. She blinked, trying to focus on it. It tapered to a dull point at the bottom, and on top laid three claws, surrounding a smallish basin. There were indecipherable words strewn across its surface. This did nothing to jog her memory, however, and she wasn't even sure it was hers. She turned her head to the other side, and this scene was the same, sans rod. She closed her eyes, and sat up. Instantly, blood rushed to her head, and she felt dizzy. Groaning again, she looked around.

She was in some open field with grass stretching everywhere. She saw, in front of her, a grand castle. To her left were smaller structures, probably forts. To her right, danger! A grotesque green creature with a cloth over its face was lurching towards her. It raised its club, prepared to strike. Automatically, she shrugged off her sleepiness, and moved the rod to her other hand, raising it to defend. Club hit rod, and her arm shook a little. Even though this creature was smaller than a Hylian, she found herself being overpowered. It may have been because she was still in a sitting position. She was scared. What did this foul creature want with her? Why did it attack a defenseless girl like her? Now filled with frustration over her lack of comprehension, she pushed back one last time, taking the creature by surprise. Quickly, she rolled back, and suddenly found herself in a standing position. Suddenly, pain wracked through her body. She should not have done that. But what choice did she have? The lone creature was now eyeing her, its advantage lost.

It decided to attack once more, and she stuck out her rod in a futile gesture of aggression. Luckily, the creature ran directly into the rod, its head making a loud clunk upon impact. Its red eyes rolled up, and it passed out. She stood there for a while speechless, then breathed out. She clutched her rod, holding it like it was the only thing between life and death. For her, an ordinary girl with nothing else except her clothes, it was very fortunate that she had this rod to fight with... well, to the best of her ability. But what was she to do now? She felt extremely vulnerable, being out in the open like this. She could see some other creatures in the distance, moving towards her. She turned and ran clumsily towards the closest fort to her. She ran up towards the front. The gate was closed, and her advance was halted. This was it. Nowhere to run. She looked back, and they were already swarming towards her. It was a terrifying sight, and she wanted to cry. But she held up her rod, regardless. It was shaking, like her arm. Like the rest of her. She barely defeated one of them, how was she supposed to defeat a hundred? She closed her eyes.

A sharp whoosh broke her concentration, and she saw a streak of green, mixed with a little blue, then a large boom of yellowish-white. A man stood in front of her, a sword in hand, held high. This man had green clothes and a blue scarf. In front of this man, she could see... all the creatures from before, dropping to the ground at the same time. It felt like time slowed down for her at this very moment, as she tried to make sense of what happened. But this man exuded an aura of safeness, perhaps even familiarity. The man turned to her, and she found herself speaking without intending to.

"...Link?"

The man looked surprised. She must have looked just as surprised, as she had no idea what she had just said. But the man smiled. She felt relief flooding her body, and she drooped down, the blackness overtaking her. She closed her eyes and slumped to the ground.

-/_\\-

[Link]

"Are you sure you've never seen her before?"

Link nodded. The blue fairy busily circling the space in front of his head made a chirping sound, and left it at that. He looked down at the girl once more. She was a teenager, not much younger than him. But she looked emaciated, and her clothes were filthy. Her skin was filthy as well. She stood out on the plain white sheets laid out for her on the floor of Link's tent. After finding and rescuing her, he had taken her back to his tent, and tried to figure out what to do with her. Proxi had suggested to call Zelda, so he was now sitting next to the girl's sleeping body, waiting for Zelda. He tried not to feel weird about having an unconscious girl in his private quarters. He failed. He looked away quickly. Then he looked back, wondering about how the girl knew her. Sure, he had already become famous through conquest, and he was now known as Link, the Hero of Hyrule. But this girl's tentative query was not one of awe. Rather, it had seemed... like she was reaching for a familiar source. It sounded stupid even in his head, but it was the only thing that sounded close.

"Link, you're staring at her."

Blushing, he looked away again. Proxi tittered a little, knowing she had caught Link doing something he wasn't aware of doing. Just then, the tent door sweeped open, and the regal figure of Princess Zelda came in, followed by Impa, her bodyguard and General of the Hyrulean Army. Zelda met Link's eyes, then looked down at the girl. She reached down and held her hand. Proxi spoke up.

"Link found her next to the Central keep, scared out of her mind. Those Bulblins seemed very interested in her, so Link cut them down. Then she passed out, so we brought her over here."

Zelda nodded in understanding, but Impa spoke up, addressing Link.

"Indeed, it is admirable that your heroic spirit is as strong as ever, but can I ask why she is stationed here, instead of in the medical tents?"

"Well, that's the thing," Proxi said hesitantly. "She seems to know Link. Not OF Link, mind you, but actually know him. I found it a bit odd, personally, but Link wanted to know more, so he was wondering if you could help her." Link nodded to confirm what Proxi was saying.

"She is showing signs of exhaustion and dehydration," Zelda spoke quietly. "She will need water as soon as she wakes up, as well as bed rest afterwards. But otherwise, I think she looks fine. Impa, if you please?"

"Of course, Your Highness." Impa quickly departed the tent.

"What did you mean, she knows Link?" Zelda asked.

Link just looked at the girl, then shrugged.

"She said Link's name. Then Link had a strange, yet familiar, feeling, one that Link can't really explain," Proxi interpreted.

"I see," Zelda said with just the tiniest bit of skepticism. "Well, I suppose we can talk to her once she wakes."

-/_\\-

[Ilia]

She woke up to something other than blinding whiteness for once. Instead, she saw a soothing brown canvas. She also heard voices.

"Here's a bucket of fresh water, Your Majesty."

"Thank you. You came just in time, it seems that she is waking up now."

Blearily, the girl opened her eyes fully, and looked around. Then she seemed to slowly realize her circumstances, as well as the fact that she was being talked about. She gasped, and drew up in a sitting position. She then coughed, suddenly realizing her throat was dryer than it had ever been. A cup full of crystal clear water was raised to her lips, and she began drinking greedily.

"It's okay. You're safe now," the blonde woman said, looking at her with kind eyes. The girl looked at the other people in the room. There was a fierce-looking, yet protective and dependable woman standing above the blonde, and to her right was a man in green clothes with a blue scarf. _Wait, was he...?_ She felt confused, as if trying to remember who he was.

"May I ask your name?" The blonde asked, and her head whipped around to meet her eyes.

"I..." she started with a shaky voice. "I don't know it. I- I can't remember."

"You can't remember your name?"

"...Everything. I can't remember anything. It's all black."

"So, you remember nothing? Then, if you don't mind me asking, how do you know Link?"

"...Who?"

The man in green clothes started, looking surprised. A blue ball of light with wings flew out from behind his head, and started chattering.

"What do you mean, who? I heard you saying Link's name! What kind of game are you playing-"

"Enough, please," Zelda interrupted. "It's clear that she has some severe amnesia. She's starting to lose control over what she can remember."

"N- no. I... Link sounds familiar. So you're Link?"

The man in green smiled at him. She smiled back.

"It's nice to meet you, Link. I'm... Ilia. I think."

"And I'm Proxi!" the fairy chirped. "So you can remember your name after all?"

"...I don't know where that came from. But, Ilia... Yes, Ilia sounds right. That is my name. I'm sorry, everything's still so fuzzy..." She held her head in her right hand, and realized her left fist was still clenched. "My rod!"

Zelda was took somewhat aback, but Link reached behind him and took out an old-looking stone rod, and gave it to Ilia. Ilia looked pleased, but Zelda looked suspicious.

"Hmm. Ilia, then? It is nice to meet you. I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule, but you may call me Zelda. This woman behind me is Impa, my most loyal bodyguard. So... tell me again how you found yourself in the middle of a battlefield...?"

"I... I just woke up there. All I had was this rod. I... what where those things? Those... monsters?"

"Bulblins," Impa said simply. "They serve only their King."

"...I think... they were after me. Or this rod. I don't know. I'm sorry, I wish I knew why I'm here."

"Don't apologize," Zelda said kindly. "You're in safe hands now, wherever you were before. But I must admit I am curious as to the origin of that rod. It looks like an Ancient Hylian artifact of some kind, but I am not sure. I must speak with my royal advisors for more information on the subject... Could I see it?"

"...Okay. But be careful. It... it's important to me. I can tell. It already saved my life once."

As she handed over the rod to Zelda, Ilia felt a profound sense of loss. She shook her head. She needed to be reasonable! It wouldn't do for her to go crazy over an old stick that she just happened to beat in some monster's head with. She could hear Zelda reading the letters, muttering in some other language. Finally, Zelda sighed.

"This language is ancient, as I thought. I can't read this fully. In fact, I doubt there are very many that can. In any case, all I could get was something about a 'Messenger to the Sky'. I don't suppose that means anything to you?"

 _Messenger?_ She felt like she knew who that was, but it felt so far away. Ilia shook her head.

"...Well. We will discuss this more tomorrow. For now, please drink some more, and rest."

Ilia laid her head back down, and closed her eyes. She could sense the others leaving the tent, perhaps to talk without her overhearing. But, despite her own profound exhaustion, she found herself unable to fall asleep. _A Messenger..._ she tried to dig into the black haze that was her mind, to pull out some answers. She knew very well that her amnesia wasn't permanent or total, as she was able to bring out her own name... and Link's. She tried once again to remember who Link was, but found herself falling short. She rolled over in bed. Maybe, tomorrow would bring some answers. Right there, she resolved to get her memory back, and perhaps figure out why she had that rod. It seemed more important than just a hunk of mossy rock after all.

-/_\\-


	2. Chapter 2: We March Now

Part I: Hyrule Field

Chapter 2: We March Now

-/_\\-

[?]

A lone fire in the middle of black emptiness. She sat near it, shivering. The fire looked warm, but she felt cold. She looked around, and she could see tiny pinpricks. Not pinpricks, she realized. Eyes. They were attached to vague shadowy figures. She looked down at the fire, resigned to her fate of being attached to the fire. If the fire ever went out… the nightmares would come back.

Suddenly a tornado formed in front of her, and the fire was engulfed.

-/_\\-

[Ilia]

She gasped and bolted upwards. Just like yesterday, the sun was in her eyes, though this time it was coming from in front of her. The thin triangle of space that was the tent's flap was bright white, beckoning to her. She panted, then steadied her breathing. She looked to her left, where Link slept on a separate pad. But Link wasn't there. She stretched, yawned, then got up. She felt much better today, so she decided to walk out of the tent. It was sunrise, the sun barely peeking out from the top of the hills. She nearly walked out, hesitated, then she went back to get her rod.

"Ha! Hyaa!" A voice rang out over the clearing, one which she had never heard before. She tracked the grunts and yells to its source, and she found something familiar. Familiarity was very important to her these days, it seems. In an open area, she found Link doing some sort of exercise involving his sword. He would hold the sword upright in front of him, calmly. Then he would suddenly swing back behind him with a grunt. Funny, she thought he had lost his voice entirely. Perhaps he was just the silent type. Just then, he turned, and caught her eyes.

She looked away, shrinking within herself. Link must have thought she was a weirdo, looking at him without saying anything. But Link smiled and waved her over. Proxi wasn't around so all he did was nod to her, then resume his training, looking back at her every now and then. She was still clutching her rod. Then suddenly, he went to her. He had a serious look on his face. He pointed to her rod, then he held the sword just as she was holding her rod. Ilia was confused for a moment. Link did a basic whirl and slash with his sword, then nodded at Ilia. Ilia decided to copy the movement with her rod, then Link nodded again, excitedly. Ah, so Link wants me to train with him? But… why?

"Link… I'm not a fighter like you."

He continued to encourage her, though, and she found herself following along. She waved the rod gracefully at first, then with force when Link started doing the same. She found herself smiling. Yet, she thought back to her first encounter with monsters. She was so scared that time, she was barely able to do anything. Surely she wasn't expected to fight? But, now she thought about it, she first woke up on a battlefield. She didn't have anywhere else to go. She lost her smile, then she looked away. Link saw her, then sheathed his sword. He looked at her quizzically.

"…Sorry, Link. It's just… I don't know where home is. I don't know if I even have one. I'm very grateful to you for helping me, but… What's the next step? What am I supposed to do? I don't want to be a burden to you, but-"

She heard a chirp, which was also familiar to her. A blue ball of light flew towards the clearing, followed by the figure of Princess Zelda and Impa.

"How did your training go, Link?" Proxi asked. "Oh! Ilia! I thought you were still asleep!"

"I thought so as well," Zelda said. "With the state your body was in yesterday, it is surprising to see you up so early."

"I… I just felt better this morning. I'm sorry… I didn't mean to make you worry."

"No need. I'm glad to see you well. But we do have business to discuss. Meet me at my tent in an hour. Link, you as well."

They nodded, then Ilia decided to continue exercising. Her rod… she knew it was made of stone, so it should have been heavy. But… it felt almost weightless in her hands.

-/_\\-

[Volga]

The tree burst in flames. His fireball's range had gotten better. He looked over at another tree, further away. He breathed in, then spit out another fireball. It fell short, however, and ignited the grass just in front of it. Disappointing. He stabbed his pike into the ground, then paced about. His pathetic minions, the Bulblins, were going through some very standard training drills. They weren't getting any better, he knew, but then again neither was he. Since his defection from Cia's forces and subsequent loss to Link, he had felt rather… inadequate. Link, a mere Hylian, defeating the strongest of the dragons? It was unthinkable, or so he had thought. Yet, it had happened. Throughout their many battles, Link had grown stronger and stronger, then at that final moment, at the Temple of Souls… he had fallen. On that dark and rocky field, he was so sure he would die. In fact, he had already died when he lost, his pride utterly in ruins.

At that time, he had thought… just what was it that made Link so much more powerful than him? His body? Link was just a mere Hylian, there was no way Volga could have been physically overpowered. His sword? Although the Blade of Evil's Bane was indeed mighty, as he had saw from the way Wizzro was… pretty much obliterated, it did not demonstrate the same power against him. But, he had seen something in Link's eyes. A fierce determination, that went beyond simply wanting to get stronger. At that final moment, he had grown to respect Link as an opponent, though he did wonder about the source of his power.

This was why he was marching against Hyrule. He wanted to battle Link again, free from the control of that accursed Cia. He roared. All the Bulblins dropped what they were doing and looked at him.

"…Now. We march now."

-/_\\-

[Zelda]

She was staring into the fire pit in the center of her spacious tent when everyone arrived. It wasn't lit at the time, but there were still a few glowing embers deep in the center. Impa was already there, of course. Zelda didn't even have to look, as that was how dependable Impa was. Some Hylian Captains and their squads marched in and took their usual seats, no doubt awaiting another military briefing. Link came in shortly after, looking just a little bit winded. The new girl, Ilia, followed her, looking more so. They had been training for the last hour, though she did not fathom why Ilia took part. Perhaps it was just Link's influence. It was time. There was one more warrior who was supposed to come, but this could not wait any longer.

"Greetings, my warriors. Thank you all for coming on such short notice. As you know, we are gathered here on this battlefield to investigate the source of the Bulblin attacks. It is unclear, but I believe I may have found the reason why. That reason is sitting here in this tent. Ilia, would you stand up please?"

Looking surprised and uncertain, the girl stood up. Zelda looked to confirm that she was holding the rod, and indeed, she was. She seemed to have become attached to it. Clearing her throat, she continued.

"Thank you, Ilia. Just the other day, Link found Ilia out near the Central keep. She has no memories at all, but she had what appears to be a powerful magical artifact." At this, Ilia gasped and looked at her rod. "It appears to be dormant now, but I have studied it thoroughly, and it seems to be an artifact from the past. If its power is awakened, it may have great powers. Thus, I have decided. After we drive off the Bulblin attacks, we will go to the Temple of the Sacred Sword and talk with the Guardian-"

Just then, her last warrior burst in the room, gasping, looking like she had run over here at full speed.

"Ah, Linkle. I see you finally found your way here…"

"No, Princess…! It's not that! I mean, yes, I may have lost my way for a bit, but you have to hear this! I somehow ended up in enemy territory and I overheard some things. Apparently, Volga is at the head of this army, and he's marching here right now!"

A deathly silence stood over the room. Everyone in this room was well aware of Volga, and the chaos he could bring with him. Although he was defeated in the past by Link, it was quite a difficult battle, and even Link gulped nervously. He wasn't sure whether he could beat Volga again. Suddenly, everyone started muttering about why Volga was back. Apparently, he was supposed to have perished at the Valley of Seers. Zelda cleared her throat, and the room fell silent once more.

"I see. Thank you, Linkle. I think I understand the situation now. The Bulblins have been marching from the direction of the Mountain keep, so we can expect most of their forces to be concentrated there. We are north of the Castle Keep. Impa, you head over to the West Rockface keep, and bring the Defense Specialist squad with you. Close the Rockface checkpoint on your way over there."

She nodded, and grabbed her trusty naginata from the wall of the tent. Half of the soldiers followed her on the way out.

"Linkle, the Central keep is currently occupied by Bulblins. I need you to bring the Attack Specialist squad with you, and capture that keep."

"Aye, aye, Princess! You can count on me to be a hero!"

She ran off, her stamina seemingly undiminished. The rest of the soldiers followed her.

"Link, you go with Linkle, but don't stop at the keep. I need you to confront Volga directly before he can cause any more damage. Can you do that?"

Link nodded, and went off as well, Proxi in tow. Only Ilia remained.

"Ilia, you must stay. We are safe here."

"I- um. Okay."

-/_\\-

[Linkle]

Shoot, reload. Shoot, reload. As Bulblin after Bulblin kept coming at her, she kept shooting each one, then reloading, avoiding their attacks the whole time in a series of acrobatic flips. It was all she had ever known, growing up on her farm. She had always wanted to be a hero, so she had spent hours in the yard shooting at the trees around her. The villagers would always disapprove of this, saying she should focus on being an honest worker. Every time this happened, she would hold up her compass, and proudly declare that she would be more than just a farmer.

Finally, the leader of the keep appeared, and without even a pause in her motions, she leapt forwards, kicked off the keep boss's head, then unleashed a volley of bolts into its torso, claiming the keep. Dusting herself off, and reclaiming whatever bolts she could, she looked behind her. Link was coming. They looked at each other. Green clothes, blond hair, blue eyes. They were so similar. Linkle hadn't much time to really talk with Link since she came here, but even so, she knew Link was another true hero like herself.

"Hail, fellow hero!" She proclaimed. "I have claimed this keep for the glory of Hyrule! You can go ahead now."

Link smiled and waved at her, before moving on. Proxi looked at her funny, but left without a word. As Link ran off, her enthusiastic face slowly melted off. She wasn't dumb, despite what some villagers would have said. She knew Link was the Hero of Hyrule people always talked about, not her. Although she saved many people on her long and winding journey to the castle, it was him they talked about. With a resigned sigh, she looked around for more Bulblins to snipe. Might as well do what she could for now.

-/_\\-

[Ilia]

They sat around the fire, watching the ember. There was only one left, as the others had all gone out. It was extremely dim, pulsating every so slightly. Orange, yellow, orange, yellow, red. It was like her. She felt so confused, so full of questions, yet unable to ask any of them.

"If you have any questions about us, you may ask them," Zelda kindly offered, shaking Ilia out of her stupor.

"You… How did you know what I was thinking?"

"It's all over your face. You don't need to be embarrassed. I'll start by properly introducing myself. I am Zelda, the Crown Princess of the Hyrule realm."

"Ah… Can I ask why a Princess is on the battlefield?"

"You certainly can, and that is a good question! As Crown Princess, I believe my duty is to the people first. You saw that castle just outside, right? That castle is not only my home, it is also the home of our people's hope. I cannot allow it to fall at any cost. For that, nothing is too precious to sacrifice, not even my own life. But do not worry, I am more of a capable warrior than you might think."

"So… we are at war, then?"

"…No. Not anymore. But…" Zelda looked down solemnly, then composed herself. "We just survived a colossal war. Technically, we are in a time of peace. But there has been a lot of unrest lately, despite that. I fear that this was only the beginning."

"I see… then… do you think I can fight?"

At this, Zelda could only look up, with an odd look in her eyes. Ilia did not blame her, however. She wasn't even close to being trained for battle. But she had a feeling. A feeling that, one day, she would have to stand up for what she believed in. Like so much else that she knew, she couldn't explain it at all. But she supposed Link might have helped her with that. Training with him, even if his skill level was so much beyond that of hers, felt natural. It made her feel more confident. But, why was she saying this all of a sudden?

"I'm sorry, that came out of nowhere! You wouldn't want someone weak like me…"

"No, it's a perfectly natural sentiment," Zelda reassured her. "An admirable one, at that. Although it is true that you are untrained," and here, Ilia flinched. "Your bond with that rod lies deeper than you know. I can detect it with my magic. If you were able to harness the power of that rod… You would become strong."

"… Link is so strong. But… do you think he can win?"

"Make no mistake, Volga is an incredibly powerful opponent. He is strongest one of the Dragon clan, who live in the Caves of Eldin. Along with his powerful attacks, he can turn into a dragon and perform powerful fire attacks. However, there's one thing Volga doesn't have, that Link has. Can you guess what that is?"

"…Um. I don't know."

"Companionship, Ilia. That is where true strength lies. As long as you have friends worth fighting for, that is where true strength comes from."

-/_\\-

[Link]

Link wasn't doing well. He had been training, sure, but so had Volga, clearly. Volga's attacks had more force to them than ever, more confidence. It seemed that now he was free, he had more control over his fighting. And it showed. Already, parts of him were badly burnt. But Volga was starting to lose energy as well. His flame attacks were losing their power. Suddenly, Volga turned his arm draconic, and swung it down with excessive force. Link backflipped away, but a burst of flame erupted from where Volga's fist struck the ground. Charging his sword up with the energy of Light, he slashed at the flames, sending a sword beam out to dissipate the flames. Both Link and Volga stood there, nearly out of energy.

"So, this is it," Volga said. "This is your limit?"

Link said nothing. Volga chuckled.

"I say that, but it's the same for me. Very well. This will decide everything. Come at me!"

Volga lunged forwards, pike pointed directly at him. In response, Link ran forwards, mustering all of his remaining energy, and channeling it into his sword. Their weapons met, and with incredible power behind each one, a great explosion formed and threw them backwards away from each other. They were both down, simultaneously knocked out.

A ripple formed in the air between them, and a large shadowy figure appeared from it. It looked between the two of the downed warriors, then it turned towards Link. A shadowy aura surrounded Link, and he was raised into the air. The gigantic shadow formed another portal, and went through it, taking Link with it. The portal disappeared, leaving nothing behind.

-/_\\-


	3. Chapter 3: Envoy of Hyrule Castle

Part I: Hyrule Field

Chapter 3: Envoy of Hyrule Castle

-/_\\-

[Impa]

Sighing, she leaned back onto her naginata, which was currently stuck into the ground. Her well-toned body wasn't tired out at all, even though she had been creating fire walls to keep out the intruders, and slashing down whoever made it through. She heard a loud boom, which made her jump. She narrowed her red eyes, then decided to investigate. She instructed her Defense Specialists to stay behind, then ran on ahead. As she did so, she consulted the charm hidden underneath her scarf. It was a charm from the seas which, when imbued with magic, allowed two people to telepathically talk to each other, from a distance. Of course, Zelda had been the one to imbue it with magic. It was the only way Impa was ever willing to leave her side.

"Your Highness, the keep is now secure. I heard an explosion of some sort off to the east. Should I investigate?"

"Ah... That would be Link or Volga. Would you do me a kindness and check in on them?"

"Absolutely."

By now, she had already arrived on the scene. In the middle of a green field, now browned with the trampling of the Bulblin troops, lay a huge crater, clearly made with immense magical energy. It was still smoking. As expected, Volga lay on the lip of the crater, clearly unconscious. But on the other side... nothing. Had Link won after all? She explored the scene a little bit, and found no Hylian footprints leading away from the crater. She did, however, find some leading to the crater, from the Central keep. And, coming from that direction was a figure with green clothes. She had to remind herself that this figure wasn't Link, but rather Linkle.

"Hoy, Impa! What brings you here?"

"I don't suppose you saw where Link went?"

"Ah! After such a brave and heroic battle? ...No, I can't say I've seen him. I was preoccupied with the duties of a hero when that explosion occurred. It's a rough job, you know!"

"Yes. So, the Central keep is secure, then? Good to hear."

This worried Impa. She could think of any number of possibilities, none of which were pleasant. He could have been blown far back by the explosion, but that would leave him badly injured. He could have been... evaporated by the sheer magical force, but that did not look likely, based on Volga's prone body. She decided to go to the East Field keep, but before she did...

"Linkle! Could you send Zelda over here? I'll be off to the east."

-/_\\-

[Ilia]

She was fidgeting restlessly in her seat. She kept looking outside the tent's flap, but the day was still bright and sunny. Funny, she kept expecting it to turn cloudy soon, and she didn't know why.

"Ilia... I've just received word about the outcome of Link vs. Volga."

Ilia perked up at this.

"It's not looking good... Although Volga was defeated, Link is nowhere to be seen."

Ilia's face fell. She looked down. Then she looked up, and held her rod tighter.

"Don't worry. At this rate, the battlefield is going to clear out soon. Without leadership, the Bulblins don't amount to much. We'll secure the field, then look for Link, okay?"

Even with how little she knew about people, Ilia could still tell that Zelda was saying it as much for her own reassurance as for Ilia's. Ilia then stood up.

"...I'll help. I've been doing some training with Link... I should be fine out there, if it's just a few Bulblins left, like you say."

"...Okay. But be careful out there, please. Here, I have something for you."

Zelda stood up, then walked over to the tent's flap, where Ilia already was. She held out her hand, and in it was a necklace with a small blue gem. Ilia took it, and put it around her neck.

"Thank you. It's pretty. But, why?"

Zelda chuckled kindly. "It may be pretty, but it has its uses as well. With it, I can communicate with you from a distance. Please, if you're ever in danger, don't hesitate to call me. All you have to do is hold the gem and think my name. Also, I suggest you head just east of here, to the West Field keep."

Ilia nodded. "Thank you. I'll be on my way."

The sun shone on her, as she made her way through the field. The weather was pleasant as always. But despite her newfound confidence, she felt some trepidation. This would be her first fight... and all she had was an inert magical rod. Sure, it had some heft, but was this really enough? Was she being a fool now? She shook her head. It had to be enough. She had to go out there, search for Link. She wanted to save Link, just as Link saved her. Off in the distance, she could see a crowd of sorts. She decided to go and investigate. Sure enough, it was a group of Bulblins, around 10 or so. Okay, take a deep breath. Remember your training, focus. She stepped out in front of them, and called out.

"I... I won't let you take a step further. As an envoy of Hyrule Castle, I... I will defeat you!" She tried to say that with bravado, but her hands were trembling. The Bulblins looked at her, then one of them charged at her. She yelped, closed her eyes, then went into a sideways stance. One foot in front of her, leg bent. One behind her, leg straight. She held her rod in both hands, then she thrusted outwards in a straight direction, stabbing like how Link would with his sword. With a satisfying CLUNK, it hit the Bulblin's head directly, and the Bulblin fell to the ground. She opened her eyes, and stayed in her last position out of disbelief. Suddenly, three more entered the fray, brandishing their clubs. She pirouetted, holding out the rod in one hand. Three more Bulblins fell. She didn't know she was this powerful. Or rather, she didn't know the rod could make such an impact. Come to think of it, it had always felt weightless to her... But it wasn't weightless to them, was it? It still had some latent magic in it, after all.

Through a series of dance-like moves, just as Link had taught her, she took down the rest of the Bulblins easily. She smiled, and took a bit of a bow. However, she felt thudding footprints from behind. No, hoofprints, she realized. She turned, and saw a gigantic Bulblin, riding a boar. The boar stopped, and bellowed. The Bulblin looked down at her. It had such a condescending look on its face. The way Ilia felt, it was as if her recent achievement was meaningless. She felt it then. If she couldn't defeat this Bulblin, it would have been literally meaningless. She had to stay true to her word. She would not let them pass. Then, the boar charged. Yelping, she rolled out of the way. But she wasn't quick enough. The Bulblin stabbed her shoulder with its spear. She screamed, and tears filled her eyes. This is pain? It was almost too much for her. She almost wanted to give up. But the Bulblin turned around, and started charging. Clearly, it wasn't done with her. She stood up frantically, then held out her rod. Again, the boar charged. She sidestepped out of the way, and tried hitting the fat Bulblin. But it effortlessly swatted away her attack. The rod spun out of her hand, and she fell down to the ground.

This was it, she thought. She was hopelessly outmatched. She closed her eyes, and prayed it would end quickly.

 _Ilia._

She opened her eyes suddenly.

 _Ilia. Pick up the rod._

She didn't even hesitate, as if some force were controlling her. She ran over, and picked up the rod from where it laid.

 _Fight._

She then saw an image of her twirling around, then slamming down her rod in front of her. The Bulblin wasn't anywhere near her, but it fell. She was confused, but she felt compelled to try it regardless. She spun once, and the rod vibrated slightly in her hand. As she spun, she could see, in slow motion, a small ball of light forming in the basin at the top of the rod. It grew during her rotation, then she naturally carried out the rest of the move. When she held her rod high, the ball of light flew out to above the Bulblin's head, leaving it looking up. When she slammed down the rod, the ball slammed down into the Bulblin, causing it to collapse and fall off the boar. The boar, now unreigned, ran off into the horizon. The ball of light returned to her rod, then fizzled out. The light lines on her rod flickered, then faded out, leaving the rod looking even deader than before. She stood there for a while, looking dazed. So, this is what the rod was capable of? She smiled, feeling full of power for the first time, then she collapsed, the pain and exhaustion of battle getting to her.

-/_\\-

[Zelda]

Zelda anxiously awaited news from her troops. Some soldiers had made it back, all reporting success on the battlefield, with minimal casualties. But what she wanted to know most was not whether they drove off the Bulblins, but rather the whereabouts of Link. She sighed, looking down. Link, her most dependable warrior. Brave, loyal, and... dare she say it? Handsome. Yes, she would admit it. Link was a stunner. If these were any other times, Zelda would have asked for his hand in courtship. A slight blush filled her cheeks. She shook her head. This wasn't the time to be thinking such childish thoughts! She had to focus on the mission. How could Link have disappeared? Surely it wasn't because Volga defeated him, as he was currently laying there, defeated... out in the middle of an open field... with high visibility. An idea formed in her head, but suddenly, a message from Impa met her mind.

"Princess, I have searched all the nearby keeps and found no sign of Link. Linkle should be there, soon. Please follow her to the blast site. What do you wish of me?"

"Go to the blast site as well. I think I may know what to do next."

Right on cue, Linkle showed up and saluted her. She gestured for her to go ahead, and dutifully, Linkle marched on, Zelda following her. Linkle prattled on about her experience on the field, using the word "hero" several times. But Zelda tuned her out, distracted by thoughts of all the negative things that could have happened to Link.

Finally, they arrived. Zelda tapped into her potent magical ability, and immediately detected a hint of dark magic.

"It is as I thought. Someone else, someone using dark magic, has been here recently. But... it seems whoever it was teleported away. There's no trail at all..."

The three female warriors stood there somberly, just as lost as they were before. However, Zelda spoke up, with a measure of hesitation.

"There is one thing we can do, however. Rather, one person we can ask."

She turned towards Volga. Impa started.

"Your Majesty! There's no way we can detain such a powerful force, let alone trust him! We should finish him off, and rid the world of this source of destruction!"

"...Indeed, Volga has caused much chaos. He has killed a great many of our troops. But... he might be the only clue leading us to Link, if he has indeed seen anything. We must take him back to the medical tent, and get him some assistance."

-/_\\-

[Volga]

Burning hellfire surrounded him. Normally, fire was nourishing to him, and he reveled in the sensation of burning. But this fire was so intense, it was causing him pain. Volga fell to the ground, swatting the flames away. They only got stronger for his efforts. He crumbled to a heap, his scales charring black.

He woke up. He could feel other people in the room. He could also feel that he was sitting in a chair, his limbs bound. He willed himself to stay still. His bone helmet, affixed to his skin, covered his eyes. He waited for the first sign of danger. Sure enough, he could hear voices.

"Princess, keeping that Light Arrow pointed at him is consuming your magical energy. I must ask you to reconsider. There should be another way."

"No. If I'm going to be the one asking questions, I need to be in charge here."

Suddenly, he chuckled, causing everyone in the room to jump. Everyone except Zelda, who he saw was currently aiming a gigantic bow made of pure light at his face. So, this was the situation, huh? No doubt he would be interrogated, possibly tortured. He couldn't help but feel a bit of glibness, as their efforts would be in vain. He was already a dead man, and dead men told no tales. He fell silent. The Princess, no doubt interpreting his chuckle as a defiance of authority, spoke up in a stern and regal voice.

"Volga. I see you have awoken. As you can see, you are surrounded by my best soldiers."

He took this brief pause to look around. He saw some familiar faces, though he did not care for them. The only face he cared about was not in this room. Link.

"This light arrow is infused with as much of my energy as possible. If you so much as move, I will unleash this arrow directly into your head."

"This is a charade. These manacles will not bind me. None of these soldiers are your strongest. How can you expect anyone other than your strongest to hold me back from killing everyone in this room?"

The tension of the room built up, and everyone drew their weapons. Impa chose to speak up, cutting through this tension.

"I found you half-dead, and I could have killed you at any time. Your show of bravado means nothing to me. You, Volga, have lost all your power over us."

It was true. He grimaced. He had lost, not once, but twice. According to the laws of his clan, he would have been executed on the spot. Yet these bleeding-heart fools had kept him alive. They had even medically treated him, judging by the bandages on his body. He had considered burning the bandages with his body heat, but he decided against it. He didn't know why.

"Now that you are aware of your situation," Zelda continued, "we do need something from you."

"Just strike me down, already. You want to, don't you? You want revenge for your soldiers that I killed. HA!"

The sudden shout made everyone in the room flinch, but Zelda kept his aim steady.

"You won't fool me, Volga. I'm not killing you until I get some answers. First, where is Link?"

His suspicions were confirmed. Link, for whatever reason, was gone. And, he surmised, that was the only reason he was left alive. Funny. The bond Link had with his comrades had ended up saving him, albeit in a roundabout way. That damnable Link! The rules and pride of the Dragon clan were being broken over and over. All because of him. ...Just as well. In his battle, he had lost, fair and square. Now, here he was. A loser. He chose to say a loser's words.

"...I do not know."

"What happened at the end of your battle?"

"Our energy collided, it overwhelmed both of us. I had some time before I lost consciousness. I saw Link's body. He was felled, the same as I."

"Did your minions take him away?"

"No."

"Who did, then? Did you see anything?"

"...yes. I saw, right before I passed out, a shadowy figure come out of the broken sky."

"Describe this figure."

"It was tall. Much taller than I. Its body wasn't distinct enough for me to say more. I also saw... Link's body floating. That was the last thing I ever saw. Satisfied? You can shoot your arrow now."

Much to his fury, Zelda looked down and away, not even registering his last words.

"Shoot me now!"

He thrashed about, hoping to provoke Zelda. Infuriatingly enough, Zelda continued paying him no mind. She dissipated the Light Bow.

"Volga, that is enough. Thank you. As a reward for your help, we will let you go. But, know that if you ever encroach yourself upon Hyrulean territory again, you will die."

"...Why? Why aren't you killing me now? Aren't you angry?! Furious at the loss of your comrades?! DON'T YOU WANT REVENGE?!"

At this, Zelda looked up at him, with those kind eyes.

"This battle is over. We don't need to fight anymore. It was obvious from the beginning your only goal was Link."

The soldiers began filtering out of the medical tent at Zelda's orders. Leaving Zelda and Impa alone with Volga. Clearly they didn't see him as a threat anymore. His body sagged.

"I... it's no good. My pride is already ruined. I thought I could regain it by defeating Link, but... I'm still dead. What is a dead man supposed to do now? If you won't kill me, I... I will."

Zelda's hand trembled. She turned towards Volga, and reached out. Her hand caressed his face, and he flinched.

"Nobody should ever have to say that. You are..." she looked away. "Link wasn't undefeatable. He did lose many times before he fought you. He has had his spirit crushed. Yet... he kept fighting. He was strong because of that. This... what you're doing? It isn't strong. You can still be strong. Walk away, Volga. Go home. Live to fight another day."

With that, Zelda left, leaving Volga utterly alone with his thoughts. The way he saw it, he would go home a disgrace. Others would hear of his loss, and invade his home, Eldin Caves. He wasn't strong enough to drive them off. Not anymore. No, he couldn't go home. Not now. He would have to keep fighting, fighting to get strong. Suddenly, he thought of Link. Link and his bonds. Link, and Zelda. He couldn't get those kind eyes out of his mind. Those kind eyes... They were sad. Because of Link? If he hadn't fought Link and left him vulnerable... Would they have been happy instead?

He tore his bandages off. He strode out of the tent. He would have to correct his mistake, and in order to do that, he would have to get stronger. He grew wings and flew away.

-/_\\-

[Ilia]

She wasn't quite finished. She was panting in exertion. She supposed she couldn't keep fighting anymore. But she wasn't going to call Zelda. She wasn't going to get rescued. Right now, Link was the one needing rescuing. She kept walking. One foot after the other. She didn't even know where she was going anymore. Her vision was a blur. Left foot, right foot. Don't fall, Ilia. Go forwards. Forwards... What's that? There was a bunch of tents in front of her. Did she get turned around? Keep going. Step, step. She saw someone, a man in uniform. Their eyes met. Her legs weren't able to take any more. She fell, and the man cried out.

 **Some time later...**

"Ilia, you pushed yourself too hard this time."

She had just woken up from a dreamless sleep. Impa was talking to her.

"You know you could have contacted Zelda at any time, right?"

Weakly, she nodded.

"But you didn't."

She looked away guiltily. Impa's hard glare softened.

"I know you wanted to be brave, like Link. But there is a difference between bravery and foolishness. You would do well to remember this. I, too, had to learn this lesson the hard way. Rest. Zelda will be with you shortly to deliver the news."

The news? Was this about Link? Oh gods, did they find him? She sat up.

"What's the news?"

"Please, Ilia. Rest. I can't say any more until Zelda-"

Just then, the tent flap slid open, and Princess Zelda strode through with a smile on her face.

"I'm here now, Impa. And it seems that Ilia is fine. You may retire to your tent now."

"... as you wish, Milady."

Zelda sat besides Ilia's bedpad, in Link's tent. Ilia looked at her with desperation.

"I'm sorry. We still haven't found Link. But we have a lead. Two of them, actually." At this, Zelda looked besides Ilia, to her rod which she had miraculously held on to this whole time. "The bad news is, it seems that a shadowy figure appeared out of nowhere, and took Link with him to wherever he disappeared to. We don't have a lead. But we do have you, Ilia. I suspect that, whoever you were before your memories disappeared, you had something to do with this shadowy figure."

Ilia blanched, and tried to protest.

"Peace, Ilia. I already know you're not our enemy. No girl who was as kind and brave as you were could have arrived here with malicious intentions. Even if you should have called me as soon as you were in trouble."

Ilia fell silent. "I'm so sorry, Zelda. You're right, I wasn't accomplishing anything by struggling on." Then she smiled.

"But I do have some good news for you as well! The magic... The rod's magic is back! Or, it was back. Uh. For a short time. There was this ball of light, and I could control it, and... and it saved me again."

At this, Zelda had picked up the rod, and inspected it closely. Although it was just as dormant as before, she could detect traces of recent magical energy.

"...I am happy you are safe, at least. But, I'm sorry to say, whatever magic this rod helped you with is completely absent now. You shouldn't rely on it to save you again, understand?"

"...Yes, Princess."

"Rest up, Ilia. Tomorrow, we head back to the castle."

"But, what's the plan now? You said earlier how I needed to get to... a temple of... something."

"The Temple of the Sacred Sword. Yes, we will still head there as soon as everyone is recovered. I will send a squad of warriors to accompany you."

"What about you?"

"...It would be remiss of a Princess to abandon her castle so soon after a near crisis. I will stay here, and fulfill my royal duties. Please, rest up."

Ilia nodded, and set her head on the bed. Despite having woken up not long ago, she fell asleep once more.

-/_\\-


	4. Chapter 4: I Am the Guardian of Time

A/N: Sorry about the delay! Things have been pretty busy for me. But summer is here, so I will continue to work on this. Please leave a comment!

Part II: The Temple of the Sacred Sword

Chapter 4: I Am the Guardian of Time

-/_\\-

[Ilia]

She gazed in awe at the architecture surrounding her. She was in a grand hall, with tapestries hanging from the ceiling, and chandeliers lining the hallway. Light filled the passage through stained-glass windows. So, this was Hyrule Castle. She looked closer at one stained-glass panel. On the bottom half, a boy in green clothes was standing on top of a hill, sword held high. On the top half, pointing at the green boy, was an angel, a girl with medium-length dirty blond hair…

"Ilia, please keep up. I hate to rush you like this, but I have important royal matters to attend, and you must get going."

She didn't realize she was falling behind. Zelda was looking back at her. She didn't look the tiniest bit irritated at her distraction, though. Rather, she looked somewhat amused. But Ilia still felt shame-faced. She quickened her steps, all the while thinking that the angel looked somewhat familiar.

"So, why am I in this castle, again? Wasn't I supposed to go to the temple?"

"You ARE going to the temple. It's actually just outside Castle Town."

"Oh… I just thought it was pretty far, considering I have escorts."

"…No. I'm sorry to have misled you, Ilia, but I was just worried for your safety. Anything could happen at the Temple. But yes, it's close."

She was content to remain quiet for the rest of the "tour", observing the castle as much as she could while hurrying alongside Zelda. Finally, they stopped in front of a giant doorway. Knights stood in rows besides the doors. All but two of them stepped forwards, clearly at attention. Zelda made a sweeping gesture, and the knights stood at ease.

"Okay, Ilia. This is where we part. Remember, you must seek out the Guardian of Time. She will know what to do to restore power to your rod."

Ilia smiled. Suddenly, however, Zelda brought her into her arms, hugging her.

"Be safe. I've grown to admire your spirit. Whatever trials you will have to go through, know that you will always have a home in Hyrule Castle, as long as I am here."

This took Ilia by surprise, but she found herself hugging back. Zelda… she hadn't realized it, but Zelda had become her closest friend, one with whom she could confide all her insecurities. Zelda was always there for her. Yet, she couldn't help but feel some nagging doubt in the back of her head. Armed escorts, trials, a heartfelt farewell… Just what would she experience next? Did Zelda know something? She thought it best to move on and leave Zelda to her business.

"Thank you, Zelda. It means a lot to me that I'm welcomed here. Um… I'd love to stay here for a while… when you're not busy."

Zelda, with a sad smile on her face, waved farewell, as the knights surrounded Ilia. Ilia found herself moving out into the town, along with the knights. They moved through the town, and Ilia felt uncomfortable with all the eyes on her. Some people had stopped whatever they were doing to look at her. She could see some women whispering to each other, while glancing her way. She held her rod tighter.

Finally, they arrived at the Temple. She could see, in front of her, a grand structure of stone walls. Once again enamored with the architecture, she left behind her thoughts of the castle town folk. As the knights escorted her into a central keep, a voice reached out to her. The disciplined knights fanned out, standing at the walls.

"Ilia, I've been waiting for you."

A woman stood at the center. She had purple hair, hidden underneath a hat that tapered outwards into two points. She had an elaborate and flowy white outfit. Her eyes were purple and mysterious. But the most magical thing about her was the interlocked circles floating behind her. They shone and rotated, almost like a gyroscope. She then skipped over to her.

"Eeeee! Ilia, it is GREAT to see you!"

"…Um… I'm sorry, do we know each other?"

"Nope, not at all! Technically speaking, that is. I'm sure you're wondering if you knew me in your past life. The answer to that is no! I know you in your future life, but we will get to that later. For now, introductions are in order!"

She twirled around and did a little jig, with a scatting beat. The circles behind her reacted only a little.

"I am the Guardian of Time, newly reformed, and ready to serve my role in guarding the fabric of the time-space continuum! Now, would you introduce yourself, Ilia?"

"…But… you already know-"

"Yes, but that's no excuse for being rude! If you please?"

"Um… okay. I'm Ilia, and… well, just Ilia. I don't know anything else about myself or why I'm here. But I was hoping you would… take a look at this rod?"

She felt a little silly showing her rod to this… goddess? Was she a goddess? She certainly radiated magical power, and she knew a lot, but were all goddesses… like her? One thing she could feel confident in was that this was a strange sort of goddess. But the Guardian did know a lot, so she could probably tell Ilia all about her past... The Guardian took the rod, and looked at it closely. She stood there awkwardly, as the inspection was taking a while. To pass the time, she spoke up.

"So, um. Guardian? Do… you perhaps know who I was in the past?"

"You're a clever girl, Ilia. You probably already knew I am able to see into the past and into the future just as easily as I can see the present. And yes, in any other circumstances I would be able to dig into your past and tell you everything you wanted to know."

"…But…?"

"Well, this time, I can't. Whenever I try to look at you in the past, all I can see is darkness." She gave the rod back to Ilia. "There are dark forces at work here, that much I can tell you. But never fear! I know exactly what you need!

"First, remember this. Your rod is called the Dominion Rod. It is indeed an ancient artifact, passed down through the Royal Family. Or, it used to be. Clearly, it is derelict, as if it had not seen use in a thousand years. All the magic has left it. Fortunately, we are exactly where we need to be. Do you know what this place is?"

"Um… Zelda was just telling me about it earlier… this is the Temple of the Sacred Sword, where Link got his sword?"

"Yyyes!" the Guardian cheered. "Correct! Link got the Sword of Evil's Bane, also known as the Master Sword, here. As it turns out, the magic that fills the Master Sword is similar to the magic that used to fill your rod. My theory is that, if you go into the Sacred Grove, the rod should resonate with the magic located there, and regain some of its power. However! We do have a bit of a problem… As I said earlier, we are exactly where we need to be. But, we are not WHEN we want to be. We're going to have to take a voyage into the past, Ilia."

-/_\\-

[Zelda]

Sighing, she looked outside the window, onto the courtyard where some knights were currently training. As per custom, they were all armored with their uniforms, even during training. With their helmets on, they all looked the same. She started to look for the one soldier that refused to wear a helmet, the blond one. Then, she caught herself. Right, Link was gone. She sighed again. The soldiers all seemed to be training harder than ever to make up for his absence, which was good. She would have to remember to commend them for their initiative later on.

As her advisors held the meeting at the royal council, she was supposed to act as their audience. But she could not help but think about the future. Just the other day…

"Zeldaaaaa!"

The Guardian of Time skipped through the halls, attracting everyone in the halls. She skipped along, her Gate following her as always. Some of the knights grumbled at her total lack of respect. But this was the Guardian, after all. She did whatever she wanted to do, even though she was a relatively new presence, only really appearing after the war ended. Some of the male knights couldn't help but notice she was just as attractive as Lana the sorceress. She halted in front of Zelda and her royal guards. Zelda turned and addressed her with a smile on her face.

"Hello, Lana. Or… Cia? Sorry, I suppose I should call you the Guardian now."

"Zelda! We need to talk. Privately." At this, the Guardian's face darkened, and she suddenly resembled Cia. "It is a matter of grave import."

They convened in the meeting room, where Zelda was in the present. The Guardian had lost her cheer, and was now pacing back and forth.

"You know normally I don't interfere with the flow of time, right?"

"Of course," Zelda replied. "You mentioned, if that were to happen, you would…"

"Be torn apart! Yes. It is my duty to prevent that from happening again, but… it seems I must do exactly that. In the future, I saw it. I saw myself, Cia. And Lana as well. I also saw that you will meet a girl in the future. This girl… She is the reason I will split apart."

"Hmm, that is concerning. Who is this girl, exactly?"

"That's what is so disturbing… I do not know."

At this, Zelda was shocked. The Guardian shook her head.

"How?"

"Her past is obscured by shadow. Although, I can see her. All I know is that her name is Ilia, and she is pure of heart. You must care for her, understand? Her journey will be difficult, and she will need to rely on her friends to survive. That is all."

She walked out of Zelda's memory, and Zelda found herself in the present. A past obscured by shadows… She didn't know why, but that gave her a bad feeling. She couldn't help but think about what would possibly happen to Ilia. A sharp cough captured her attention, and she forcibly turned her thoughts away from Ilia.

-/_\\-

[Ilia]

She whacked a white soldier on its side, and it dissipated into mist. But three more replaced it, as always. Oh, how she wished the magic in her rod were back! Maybe then she would have been able to fight crowds without getting hurt. Indeed, although the ghost soldiers always hit with the flat of her blade, she found herself starting to bruise all over. Just then, she heard humming, and she knew she had to get out of here. The Guardian of Time stood besides her, so Ilia got behind the Guardian, keeping a safe distance. The Guardian stepped forwards, her Gate opening up. Then the Gate expanded, then fell on top of her. She walked its perimeter rhythmically, dancing all the while. Then, she leapt backwards, and the Gate suddenly expanded. A giant lizard leapt out of it and onto the ground with a booming thud. It roared, and breathed fire in a wide arc around it. Thankfully, Ilia was safe, well behind the Gate. The lizard then rolled up into a ball, and rolled forwards, turning every unfortunate soldier in its path into fine mist. Its energy was exhausted then, so it vanished, to return to its rightful place in time. Or so the Guardian had explained to Ilia.

"Whew. Thanks Guardian, you saved me just in time. That Gate of yours is amazing!"

"My poor Ilia! You're hurt!"

"I… I'm- ouch- fine. I can still move."

"I so regret that this had to happen. Here, have a potion!"

The Guardian held out a glowing yellow potion, and Ilia gratefully drank it. Suddenly, she could feel her bruises healing, and she could feel her power returning. The ghosts seemed to be gone for the moment.

"So, Guardian. These ghosts…" She fidgeted, not wanting to seem troubled. "Um, how long-"

"It won't be long! We're almost at the door."

Indeed, after the next wave of soldiers, easily taken care of by a couple of flailing plant vines, they had gotten there. They walked forwards into the next room, and indeed, there it was. An archway in the middle of the room. There were a set of metal double doors, though they were broken down. They looked unable to open. She looked around it, and there was a grand, sloping, design to the rest of the room. Stairs led down to the rest of the room, which was just a wide open space. It looked ruined, however. Vines grew out of the walls here and there, and this area looked just as worn-out as the rest of the Temple of the Sacred Sword. There wasn't even a ceiling, not anymore. It had caved in long ago, the pieces of rubble littering the floor. There weren't any other exits to this room, though. She could see, on the furthest wall, on the bottom of the stairs, a circular indentation in the floor, cutting into the wall. The Guardian stood by the doorway patiently. Ilia's curiosity overtook her, and she walked down the stairs, to look at the indentation. There was a pedestal, large and circular. Somehow, it felt significant. It was as if there was supposed to be something there. Like… a statue?

The Guardian whistled, and she looked back up! Stammering, she went up the stairs, apologizing for getting distracted.

"No need to worry, Ilia. This place is important to you, isn't it?"

She gulped, and nodded mutely.

"All will become clear soon. We just have to walk through this door!"

She was confused. Looking at the doorway, she could see that it led nowhere. It was just an archway in the middle of the room. She walked around it, trying to see if there was a secret to it. There wasn't. But, she could feel her rod vibrating slightly. She looked down, and the lines built into its design were glowing faintly.

"Before we go through, I do have to apologize. When I go through the door, I will look… different. I do not want to startle you, so just… well, keep that in mind. Now, go on. Open the door, Ilia."

She stood there, with her back to where they came from. The door looked too rusty to open, but regardless, she put her hand on the door handle. The rod started glowing, and the door started glowing as well. She pulled on the door, and looked beyond it. She had been expecting to see the same hall as before, stairs sloping down to a wide pedestal at the bottom. In a sense, she was right. But she was also wrong, for the rubble covering the hall had disappeared. No, that wasn't right. The ceiling had reformed, the rubble returning to its rightful place. The dirt and vines covering the walls had disappeared, leaving them a gleaming white in color. There was a red carpet leading down to the pedestal. She walked forwards.

At the bottom, she could see a statue on the base, where nothing used to be before. As soon as she saw it, she was hypnotized. She kept walking down the stairs, until she stood in front of it. She heard a voice.

So we meet at last.

She looked up at it. It was… big. Twice her height. Its torso took most of that height, as it had no legs, its torso instead ending in a round base that matched the pedestal perfectly. It had a strong frame, its muscular arms extended out in front of it. It was holding a gigantic hammer, around the same height as itself. The hammer head was double-sided. It had a large helmet on top of its small face. There was a hole in its torso, and lines spread out from the hole to cover the rest of its body. Its design reminded her of the rod. The rod! It had felt different this whole time. She looked down.

It looked new again. All the dirt and wear covering it had disappeared. The lines at its head, where the claw-basin stood, had started glowing white. Then, a ball of light formed in the basin, glowing. It was the same as when she defeated the Bulblin King.

"What do you think?"

She startled, then looked behind her. It was the Guardian… no, not quite. The woman standing before her had blue hair, not purple. She had no hat, instead she had a ponytail sticking out the side, held together by a mass of red and white ribbons and feathers. Her outfit looked slightly different as well. Yet, she retained the Guardian's facial features.

"Um, Guardian, is that you?"

"No, not anymore. You can call me Lana."

Her Gate was gone, and instead, she held a book in her hand. Now she saw, they weren't alone in the room. Another woman stood behind Lana, off in the distance. She looked similar to the Guardian as well, though her color scheme was much darker. She had a very revealing black outfit, with a dress that only covered one leg. She also had no hat, and her hair was white. She was looking around the room, scowling.

"And that's Cia. You could call her my other half, or my sister, really. So, how does it feel, the rod?"

"It feels, um. Powerful, but… the same as before. The same as…that time. Its magic is back, then?"

"Well, from what I can recall… only for now. We are in the past, I think."

"…You think?"

"Sorry! All I can remember is what the Guardian was thinking at the time. Never mind about me, go on, try it out!"

Ilia, feeling foolish, waved the rod around in a circle. The ball became detached, and waved around in a larger circle. She felt like she could control the ball smoothly. She willed it to move, with the rod held straight in front of her. Oddly, it could only move in a straight line. It seemed that she would have to move the rod itself to move the ball further than that. Looking around, she tried to find a goal to move the ball towards. She saw the hole in the middle of the statue. Hmm… She tried moving the ball right into it. She did… and the ball went in! Just then, a very curious sensation overtook her. She stood there, her body holding the rod directly in front of her. Her body felt heavy, like stone. She felt tingling all over her body. She moved the rod to the left and the statue moved its hammer to its left. She was now standing a good distance from the statue. Curiously, she swung the rod down in front of her. The statue swung its hammer down. Hammer met ground, and a deafening impact rang throughout the room. There was a sizeable crater. She yelped and drew the rod back, and the ball's connection with the statue broke. It resumed its previous position, and the orb returned to the rod.

"…Wow."

"Oh my gosh! Ilia, that was SO COOL!"

Even Cia, who had been trying to not pay attention, looked impressed.

-/_\\-

[Ganondorf]

It was time.

He could feel his body forming in the murky void between nothingness and existence, outside of time and space. Without his body, he had felt vulnerable, powerless. He knew he would reform eventually, so he had waited. Just then, he could feel a split in the fabric of time. A certain powerful figure had split apart, into light and darkness. He felt a familiar golden power, and he knew the Triforce was free again. He willed himself to reform. A clenched fist formed first, and the Triforce gravitated towards it naturally, as was the way of things. It gleamed, the top triangle more brilliantly than the rest. Yes, he felt more complete. Soon, he would The rest of his arm formed. A shadow formed around it, and he felt… no, this wasn't right. This was not his shadow. It dug into his skin, causing pain. He unclenched his fist, and waved the arm around, trying to shake it off. It only held on harder, and his muscles lost control. The shadow took over the whole arm, then slid off of it. It had formed a new arm, one very similar to his own. It had the Triforce on it, while his own arm had nothing. No! This wasn't supposed to happen! The shadowy counterpart disappeared, taking the Triforce with it. His arm was left behind, powerless. The rest of his body started reforming, but it felt pointless. He had lost the Triforce, and himself with it.

For, without Power, who was he? Who was Ganondorf?


End file.
